MultiHub Forum

I recently upgraded to a new high-refresh-rate monitor and a powerful graphics card, but I'm not seeing the performance gains I expected in my games. My CPU usage is consistently high while the GPU usage fluctuates and rarely hits its maximum, which makes me suspect a GPU bottleneck. I'm running a last-generation processor, and I'm trying to figure out if the issue is purely a CPU limitation or if there are settings within Windows or the game itself that I can adjust to better balance the load. What are the most effective steps for GPU bottleneck troubleshooting to confirm the cause and potentially mitigate the performance hit?

Sounds like a classic CPU bottleneck. Use a tool like MSI Afterburner or HWInfo to watch per‑core CPU usage and GPU load in real time. If your CPU is pegged near 100% but the GPU is only at 60–70%, that points to the CPU holding things up. Also pay attention frame times rather than just FPS—you’ll see the stall clearly there.